Ring with seamless decorative inlay

ABSTRACT

Finger ring manufactured from high strength metal that provides a means to employ a seamless inlay of material such as hardwood or plastic that cannot be accommodated by traditional setting methods. The ring is made in two parts that telescope, locate the inlay, and lock onto each other without the need for threads or heating. The divide line between parts is in a location where it is not seen or felt.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/624769, filed 2004 Nov. 3 by the present inventor.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to jewelry, specifically to finger rings with inlays.

2. Prior Art

Jewelry items such as finger rings have been traditionally manufactured using precious metals such as gold or platinum. More recently, rings made from higher strength materials such as titanium, stainless steel, and tungsten have become popular. These rings are typically turned on computer controlled lathes from barstock instead of cast like the precious metals typically are. Another method of forming high strength rings, taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,045 to West (2000) involves forming powdered metal or ceramic into a ring shape and sintering it at high temperature. Rings of high strength materials are often visually enhanced by the addition of precious metal inlays. These inlay materials normally start as flat wire and are hammered or pressed into grooves in the ring surface. Inlaying by this method can be done cold or by heating the inlay metal to soften it. The material is usually soldered, brazed, or welded at the starting and ending point. Another method of inlaying material, taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,667 to West (2003) involves heating the ring until a precious metal with a lower melting point flows into a channel. Another method taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,734 to West (2005) involves pressing a powdered metal into a grooved ring and sintering the metal at a lower temperature than the melting point of the ring.

Because the high strength metals are essentially gray in color, using an inlay material of a different color and texture would enhance the looks of the ring. An inlay of something other than metal would stand out from what is commonly done, thus would have commercial value. Using materials that are typically associated with high value items such as burl maple dashboards or rosewood pens would add a unique appearance and add value to a ring. Other potentially high perceived value inlay materials include stone and polymers such as acrylics. Ideally, such an inlay would be seamless for the sake of appearance. Rings made entirely from materials such as wood or stone have been made since antiquity, but are generally very thick due to strength considerations. Such materials are usually relatively fragile, so could not be used as a ring of typical thickness by themselves. These materials would not typically stretch without cracking in order to be inset into a ring, and they could also be damaged by excessive heat caused by any soldering or brazing.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to:

-   (a) enable an inlay of relatively fragile and high perceived value     material to be used as an inlay in a ring; -   (b) enable the inlay material to be one continuous piece; -   (c) provide the means for a ring and inlay to be made without the     introduction of heat; -   (d) provide means to keep the thickness of the inlay material to be     as thick as possible while keeping the ring profile as thin as     possible; -   (e) provide the means of preventing damage to the inlay while the     ring is assembled; -   (f) provide the means of having the ring protect the inlay from most     damage while being worn; -   (g) provide means of having a divide line that is not seen; -   (h) provide a means of having a divide line that is not felt; -   (i) provide means of manufacturing with less stringent tolerances     than a conventional press fit; -   (j) provide the means for replacing inlays. -   (k) provide means for not showing damage if an inlay is replaced.

SUMMARY

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and provide a means to inlay continuous decorative inlays of wood, plastics, stone, and other materials not previously possible into high strength machined rings. The ring is made in two telescoping halves that nest together and provide a hard stop to keep from crushing the more delicate inlay. The advent of the high strength materials allows the telescoping parts to be extremely thin, allowing more room for the weaker inlay material, and allowing the ring to stay a comfortable thickness. This technique also allows the divide line between parts to be very thin, low, and unseen. The divide line is also located so that the wearer cannot feel it.

The high modulus of the preferred embodiment ring materials allows the very thin outer piece to expand over the opposed inner piece then constrict back to the original dimension without deformation and hold the parts together. Lower modulus materials such as traditional precious metals would deform and not hold their shape if they were machined as thin.

A feature of the present invention is to allow the rough machining marks of the telescoping surfaces to match and act like tiny threads that hold the two halves firmly together. CNC (Computer Numeric Control) lathes can easily match the turning pitch on the two parts. This saves time in the manufacturing operation over chasing threads, with the additional advantages of not having to allow extra room to relieve the threads, and not having a large gap or sharp edges at the seam between parts. It also allows a looser machining tolerance to the very thin parts, which might tend to deflect while machining.

There are other advantages of the current invention over threaded sections. The threaded sections need more overlap, so the sections would have to be thicker, thus reducing the area reserved for the inlay. Threads also act as stress risers, so some additional material would be needed to avoid cracking issues. There would also have to be extra clearance for tool deceleration and width, which would not allow for full thread contact. The problem of galling of threads, common with titanium, and poorly formed threads, common with powdered metal tungsten parts are also avoided. By not having normal threads, this invention will also not need orienting tangs, which would be felt on a ring and annoying to the wearer. The pieces will also not unscrew inadvertently since the metal halves grip onto each other so tightly.

Assembly of the two parts is also easier than with threads since the parts don't have to be fixtured and screwed together. They are simply pressed together by a vise, press, or other means.

Another advantage of the current invention is that the ring halves are separable. This allows interchangeable inlays. If the inlay got damaged and had to be replaced, the two halves of the ring could be pried apart with a press or opposed prying tools. The high modulus materials used in the preferred embodiment should withstand multiple separations without damage. Any ring that is made from parts that are swaged, formed, or brazed together would not be separable. Because the pry tool is used in the groove that is normally covered by the inlay material, any marking of the groove surface during prying the halves apart would not be seen when a new inlay is inserted.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the three main pieces that make up the ring.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the three main pieces assembled into the final configuration.

FIG. 3 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the three main pieces of the ring and an assembled view.

FIG. 4 is a lateral cross-sectional close up view of the assembled ring.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   10 inner ring section -   12 inlay -   14 outer ring section -   16 smooth internal radius -   18 raised flange section on inner ring section -   20 outer cylindrical surface -   22 inner cylindrical surface -   24 outer surface rough turning marks -   26 inner surface rough turning marks -   28 floor surface -   30 leading edge -   32 stop wall on inner ring section -   34 raised flange section on outer ring section -   36 stop wall on outer ring section -   38 divide point

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1. is a perspective view of the three pieces that make up the ring. The inner ring section 10 is a turned metal piece that has smooth internal radii section 16 for the comfort of the wearer. The outer ring section 14 is a turned metal piece which slides over inner ring section 10 and traps inlay section 12 in place. The inlay section 12 is a continuous turned section of wood, plastic, stone, or similar material.

FIG. 2. is a perspective view of the three main pieces assembled into the final configuration. Raised flange section 18, inlay section 12, and raised flange section 34 make up a continuous smooth section that becomes the outside surface of the ring.

FIG. 3. is a lateral cross-sectional view of the three main ring pieces and an assembled view. The inner ring section 10 has a raised flange section 18 that makes up part of the outer surface of the ring when the parts are assembled. Outer surface section 20 is a cylindrical mating surface to inner surface section 22 on outer ring section 14. The addition of rough turning marks section 24 on outer cylindrical surface section 20 and matching rough turning marks section 26 on internal cylindrical surface section 22 allow the parts to have a light press fit without the need for high machining precision on the thin and flexible parts. The parts are turned on a lathe and can have matching federates, which produces the effect of tiny grooves that lock the parts together. The lower cross section of the inner ring section 10 and the lower cross section of outer ring section 14 are kept as thin as possible in order to allow the inlay section 12 to be as thick as possible without the overall thickness of the ring increasing. It is important to keep the ring as thin as possible for comfort considerations of the wearer. The inlay section 12 is a continuous turned section of wood, plastic, stone, or similar material that, in itself would be very fragile and would not ordinarily stand up well as a ring material. Such materials could also not normally be inlayed into a groove in a ring without cracking. Additional thickness of the inlay section 12 increases its strength. Inlay section 12 also gains considerable strength by being sandwiched between stop wall 32 on the inner ring section 10 and stop wall 36 on the outer ring section 14 and sitting concentrically on floor surface section 28. The inner ring section 14 is press fit over outer ring section 10 until leading edge section 30 bottoms against stop wall section 32. The inlay section 12 is kept from being damaged during pressing because there is slight clearance between it and the ring halves sections 10 and 14. The inlay section 12 is not able to flex appreciably in any direction, and is protected from impacts by raised flange sections 18 and 34. This protection allows the inlay section 12 to be made of materials that were not previously practical in a ring.

FIG. 4. is a close up view of a lateral cross sectional view of the assembled ring. The divide point section 38 between ring halves is ideally just below the start of the smooth internal radius 16, which is a curve for the comfort of the wearer. When located at such a position, the cut line is more difficult to see because of reflections on curved surface of the internal radius 16. When worn on a finger, the divide point section 38 is high enough on the internal radius 16 so that the internal radius 16 touches the finger but the divide point is never felt. The precise matching of part lengths facilitated by the hard stop of leading edge 30 onto stop wall 32 also allows the gap at the divide point to be very small. The close proximity of the press fit of cylindrical surfaces 20 and 22 also keep the gap as small as possible.

If the inlay is damaged or the wearer would like a different inlay, the inlay may be replaced. The old inlay is removed by cutting or cracking. Because the ring halves sections 10 and 14 are press fit together, a leveraged pry tool can be placed between stop walls sections 32 and 36 to force the halves to telescope apart. Since the tool only touches the inside surfaces, a new inlay can be replaced, and no evidence of damage by prying will be visible. The high strength materials used for the rings allow the ring to be taken apart numerous times without damage. 

1. A finger ring comprising an inner ring section having a cylindrical surface with a raised flange to create a stop wall, an outer ring section which telescopes over said inner ring section and having a leading edge to abut against said stop wall and itself having a raised flange to create another stop wall, and a continuous inlay of a different material trapped within the groove created between said stop walls when assembled.
 2. The ring in claim 1 wherein said ring sections are made from high strength metal.
 3. The ring in claim 2 wherein said high strength metal is an alloy of titanium, steel, tungsten, zirconium, or niobium.
 4. The ring in claim 1 wherein said inlay is a relatively fragile or non stretchable material.
 5. The ring in claim 4 wherein the inlay material is wood, stone, ceramic, or plastic.
 6. The ring in claim 1 wherein the divide line between inner and outer halves is unseen when the ring is worn.
 7. The ring in claim 1 wherein the ring sections press fit together.
 8. The ring in claim 7 wherein press fit surfaces have matching coarse machining marks to aid in manufacturing and assembly. 